“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ESV)
I saw an advert recently on a recycling w.w.w. site for a TV sofa where the spelling was out-of-place. It read: Loves Eating. They had put the space after the “s” instead of before! A simple mistake to make, but it made me think.
Recently I was invited to the local cinema. I was asked to make up a place at very short notice which I was more than happy to do. I found the cinema in the town centre.
When I was shown to my seat I found that gone were the old cherry-red folding seats that are a part of my childhood memories, and in place were love seats, light and table.
A love seat is another name in the UK for a comfy sofa you can buy, made for two, where a couple can cuddle up, usually in front of the TV. I did not expect to find love seats in a cinema!
Great for courting and married couples to snuggle up with but not so much fun for a single person sitting with friends of diverse ages! So I was rather uncomfortable until distracted by the film!
The Song of Solomon’s descriptions of God’s Love, intimacy and intensity are His portrayal of how He desires for His people to be close. The parable of the Prodigal Son also displays God’s familial love for intimacy, forgiveness, inclusion, grace and love. The Jewish corporate confession of faith, The Shema (Shema = Hebrew for Hear) starts with: we are to Love God….
In some manner, just like these occupied love-seat couples in the cinema, we should be able to snuggle up to our God, respectfully intimate, trusting in love and faith, devoted to God even as He reaches out to us.
It may make us uncomfortable for a time to think about this because we are not familiar with the possibility for such relational intimacy with God as we spend time together with Him.
Maybe we struggle with the call of the Father for intimacy through Jesus? Maybe we have become used to being masters of self, with a comfort zone – especially during Covid19 times – not to be invaded by anyone, not even God?
Instead of being devoted to God we have become preoccupied with the survival of self, someone who just “Loves Eating”, not Love Seating with God? It does not have to be this way because Jesus is only a prayer away!
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
(Jeremiah 33:3 ESV)
Prayer: LORD, we always fall short of Your Love for us. Please forgive us our pre-occupation with self, our waywardness, and by the grace found through Jesus bring us closer to know, love and trust in Your Love and Care, in Jesus’ name, amen.